Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense binds, present participle binding, past tense, past participle bound
1. verb
If something binds people together, it makes them feel as if they are all part of the same group or have something in common.
It is the memory and threat of persecution that binds them together. [VERB noun with together]
...the social and political ties that bind the U.S.A. to Britain. [VERB noun preposition/adverb]
...a group of people bound together by shared language, culture, and beliefs. [VERB-ed]
[Also VERB noun]
Synonyms: unite, join, link, consolidate More Synonyms of bind
2. verb
If you are bound by something such as a rule, agreement, or restriction, you are forced or required to act in a certain way.
Employers are not bound by law to conduct equal pay reviews. [beVERB-ed + by]
The authorities will be legally bound to arrest any suspects. [beVERB-ed to-infinitive]
There is a bottom deck though, so you're not bound to sit on top. [beVERB-ed to-infinitive]
The treaty binds them to respect their neighbour's independence. [VERB noun to-infinitive]
[Also VERB noun]
Synonyms: oblige, make, force, require More Synonyms of bind
boundadjective
The world of advertising is obviously less bound by convention than the world ofbanking.
Few of them feel bound by any enduring loyalties. [+ by]
Synonyms: compelled, obliged, forced, committed More Synonyms of bind
Synonyms: tied, fixed, secured, attached More Synonyms of bind
Synonyms: certain, sure, fated, doomed More Synonyms of bind
3. verb
If you bind something or someone, you tie rope, string, tape, or other material around them so that they are held firmly.
Bind the ends of the cord together with thread. [VERB noun adverb/preposition]
...the red tape which was used to bind the files. [VERB noun]
He said there were cases where prisoners were tightly bound, often for several days. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: tie, unite, join, stick More Synonyms of bind
4. verb
When a book is bound, the pages are joined together and the cover is put on.
Each volume is bound in bright-coloured cloth. [beVERB-ed + in]
Their business came from a few big publishers, all of whose books they bound. [VERB noun]
...four immaculately bound hardbacks. [VERB-ed]
Synonyms: trim, finish, edge, border More Synonyms of bind
-boundcombining form
...leather-bound stamp albums.
5. ergative verb
If one chemical or particle is bound to another, it becomes attached to it or reacts with it to form a single particle or substance.
[technical]
Nobody understands why these three quarks in the proton are bound together. [beVERB-ed adverb/preposition]
These may bind to receptor molecules on the surfaces of cells. [VERB preposition]
These compounds bind with genetic material in the liver. [VERB preposition]
Synonyms: fuse, join, stick, bond More Synonyms of bind
6. verb
In cookery, if you bind a mixture of food, you form it into a mass by mixing it with a sticky substance.
Bind the mixture with the raw minced liver and cook for 3 minutes more. [VERB noun with noun]
...a divine mixture of vegetarian cheeses bound with egg. [VERB-ed]
7. singular noun [aNOUN]
If you are in a bind, you are in a difficult situation, usually because you have to make a decision or a choice and whatever decision or choice you make will have unpleasant consequences.
[informal]
This puts the politicians in a bind as to what course to take.
I'll advance you the money for it, here and now, just to help you out of a bind.
8. singular noun [aNOUN]
If you say that something is a bind, you mean that it is unpleasant and boring to do.
[British, informal]
It is expensive to buy and a bind to carry home.
Synonyms: nuisance, inconvenience, hassle [informal], drag [informal] More Synonyms of bind
9. See also binding, bound1, double bind
Phrasal verbs:
See bind over
More Synonyms of bind
bind in British English
(baɪnd)
verbWord forms: binds, binding or bound
1.
to make or become fast or secure with or as if with a tie or band
2. (transitive; often foll byup)
to encircle or enclose with a band
to bind the hair
3. (transitive)
to place (someone) under obligation; oblige
4. (transitive)
to impose legal obligations or duties upon (a person or party to an agreement)
5. (transitive)
to make (a bargain, agreement, etc) irrevocable; seal
6. (transitive)
to restrain or confine with or as if with ties, as of responsibility or loyalty
7. (transitive)
to place under certain constraints; govern
8. (transitive; often foll byup)
to bandage or swathe
to bind a wound
9.
to cohere or stick or cause to cohere or stick
egg binds fat and flour
10.
to make or become compact, stiff, or hard
frost binds the earth
11.
a. (transitive)
to enclose and fasten (the pages of a book) between covers
b. (intransitive)
(of a book) to undergo this process
12. (transitive)
to provide (a garment, hem, etc) with a border or edging, as for decoration or to prevent fraying
13. (tr; sometimes foll by out or over)
to employ as an apprentice; indenture
14. (intransitive) slang
to complain
15. (transitive) logic
to bring (a variable) into the scope of an appropriate quantifier
See also bound1 (sense 9)
noun
16.
something that binds
17.
the act of binding or state of being bound
18. informal
a difficult or annoying situation
19. another word for bine
20. music another word for tie (sense 17)
21. mining
clay between layers of coal
22. fencing
a pushing movement with the blade made to force one's opponent's sword from one line into another
23. chess
a position in which one player's pawns have a hold on the centre that makes it difficult for the opponent to advance there
Word origin
Old English bindan; related to Old Norse binda, Old High German bintan, Latin offendixband2, Sanskrit badhnāti he binds
bind in American English
(baɪnd)
verb transitiveWord forms: bound or ˈbinding
1.
to tie together; make fast or tight, as with a rope or band
2.
to hold or restrain as if tied or tied down
bound by convention
3.
to gird or encircle with a belt, girdle, etc.; wrap or fasten around
4.
to bandage
often with up
5.
to make stick together; make cohere
6.
to tighten the bowels of; constipate
7.
to strengthen, secure, or ornament the edges of by a band, as of tape
8.
to fasten together the printed pages of (a book) and enclose them within a protective cover
9.
to secure or make firm (a bargain, contract, etc.)
10.
to obligate by duty, love, etc.
11.
to compel, as by oath, legal restraint, or contract
12.
to make an apprentice of; indenture
often with out or over
13.
to unite or hold, as by a feeling of loyalty or love
verb intransitive
14.
to do the act of binding
15.
to be or become tight, hard, or stiff
16.
to be constricting or restricting
17.
to stick together
18.
to be obligatory or binding in force
noun
19.
anything that binds
20. US, Informal
a difficult or restrictive situation; jam
to be in a bind
21. Music
tie (sense 19)
SIMILAR WORDS: tie
Idioms:
bind over
Word origin
ME binden < OE bindan < IE base *bhendh- > band1, bend1, Sans badhnti, (he) binds, Goth bindan
More idioms containing
bind
be in a double bind
Examples of 'bind' in a sentence
bind
Taking on this fight could help to bind the official opposition.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
The mayonnaise that binds the salad gets extra verve from lemon juice and dijon mustard.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
What matters more than obsessing over details is being clear that you will not be bound by squeamish political correctness.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Grease the handles of two wooden spoons with butter and wrap a rubber band around them to bind them together.
The Sun (2016)
In an age in which the tie has all but died out, mine lives on to bind another news day.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
It's bound to get molecular.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
The electromagnetic force binds atoms to one another to form molecules.
Christianity Today (2000)
You are both almost bound to need help with all this.
The Sun (2008)
This is bound to become more of a problem as the world economy becomes more universal.
Peter F. Drucker MANAGEMENT: task, responsibilities, practices (1974)
Football is a successful business because people are eternally bound to their clubs.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
We tend to think of sympathy as a cohesive force which binds us together in mutual understanding.
The Times Literary Supplement (2013)
You will be bound to lose a trick in each suit now.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
The books are spiral bound and designed to be read from your handlebars.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
It is bound to be another year of numbers that will shake the world.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
They are not legally binding here but they are seen as persuasive in court.
The Sun (2015)
This secret is bound to get out.
The Sun (2011)
Things are now bound to get much better.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Shared taste helps to bind the tribe.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
One contentious issue is the percentage at which the vote becomes binding.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Doing that in front of other people was bound to be embarrassing.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
He refused to be bound by agreements about how to interpret the experiments meant to settle their dispute.
Oliver Morton Eating the Sun: How Plants Power the Planet (2007)
They are bound by the agreement.
The Sun (2012)
You're bound to feel nervous and so will she.
The Sun (2006)
They may feel bound to do something but don't want to.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Then they bind it into position with spider's web.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
I would not have either of them guess at this, or feel bound in any way.
Charlotte M. Yonge The Daisy Chain (1837)
In other languages
bind
British English: bind VERB
If something binds people together, it makes them feel as if they are all part of the same group or have something in common.
…a group of people bound together by shared language, culture, and beliefs.
American English: bind
Brazilian Portuguese: amarrar
Chinese: 使结合
European Spanish: unir
French: lier
German: binden
Italian: legare
Japanese: 団結させる
Korean: 단결시키다
European Portuguese: ligar
Latin American Spanish: unir
Chinese translation of 'bind'
bind
(baɪnd)
Word forms:ptppbound
vt
(= tie) 捆(綑) (kǔn)
(= tie together)[hands, feet]绑(綁) (bǎng)
(= connect) 使联(聯)合 (shǐ liánhé)
(= oblige) 约(約)束 (yuēshù)
[book]装(裝)订(訂) (zhuāngdìng)
n
(Brit, inf, = nuisance) 麻烦(煩) (máfan)
1 (verb)
Definition
to unite with emotional ties or commitment
It is the threat of persecution that binds them together.
Synonyms
unite
They have agreed to unite their efforts to bring peace.
join
The opened link is used to join the two ends of the chain.
link
the Channel Tunnel linking Britain and France
consolidate
The state's four higher education boards are to be consolidated.
unify
He said he would seek to unify the Party and win the next election.
2 (verb)
Definition
to place (someone) under legal or moral obligation
The treaty binds them to respect their neighbour's independence.
Synonyms
oblige
This decree obliges unions to delay strikes.
make
You can't make me do anything.
force
They forced him to work round-the-clock.
require
The rules require employers to provide safety training.
engage
compel
the introduction of legislation to compel cyclists to wear a helmet
prescribe
constrain
Individuals will be constrained to make many sacrifices for the greater good.
necessitate
A prolonged drought had necessitated the introduction of water rationing.
impel
I felt impelled to go on speaking.
obligate
3 (verb)
Definition
to make secure, such as with a rope
Bind the ends of the card together with thread.
Synonyms
tie
He tied the ends of the plastic bag together.
unite
join
stick
secure
The frames are secured by horizontal rails to the back wall.
attach
Attach labels to things before you file them away.
wrap
rope
I roped myself to the chimney.
knot
He knotted the bandanna around his neck.
strap
She strapped the belt around her waist.
lash
Secure the anchor by lashing it to the rail.
glue
tie up
hitch
We hitched the horse to the cart.
paste
pasting labels on bottles
fasten
The dress fastens down the back.
truss
The intruders trussed him with the bandage.
make fast
Opposites
free
,
release
,
undo
,
loosen
,
untie
,
unfasten
,
unbind
4 (verb)
Definition
to place under certain constraints
All are bound by the same strict etiquette.
Synonyms
restrict
The shoulder straps restrict movement.
limit
He limited payments on the country's foreign debt.
handicap
Greater levels of stress may seriously handicap some students.
confine
detain
We won't detain you any further.
restrain
He grabbed my arm, partly to restrain me.
hamper
I was hampered by a lack of information.
inhibit
buildings which inhibit the supply of light and air
hinder
Landslides are continuing to hinder the arrival of relief supplies.
impede
Fallen rocks are impeding the progress of rescue workers.
hem in
keep within bounds or limits
5 (verb)
Definition
to enclose and fasten (the pages of a book) between covers
Each volume is bound in bright-coloured stock.
Synonyms
trim
finish
edge
a chocolate brown jacket edged with yellow
border
6 (verb)
Definition
to stick together or cause to stick
These compounds bind with genetic material in the liver.
Synonyms
fuse
They all fuse into a glassy state.
join
stick
Stick down any loose bits of flooring.
bond
Strips of wood are bonded together and moulded by machine.
cement
Most artificial joints are cemented into place.
adhere
7 (verb)
Definition
to bandage
Her mother bound the wound with a rag soaked in iodine.
Synonyms
bandage
Apply a dressing to the wound and bandage it.
cover
He covered his head with a turban.
dress
I dressed her wounds.
wrap
She wrapped a handkerchief round her bleeding hand.
swathe
She swathed herself in thin black fabrics.
encase
8 (verb)
Definition
to provide (a garment) with an edging
Bind the edges of the blind with braid or fringing.
Synonyms
edge
finish
border
white sand bordered by palm trees and tropical flowers
trim
jackets trimmed with crocheted flowers
hem
(noun)
Definition
a difficult or annoying situation
(informal)
It is expensive to buy and a bind to carry home.
Synonyms
nuisance
He can be a bit of a nuisance when he's drunk.
It's a real nuisance having to pick up the kids from school every day.
inconvenience
We apologize for any inconvenience caused during the repairs.
hassle (informal)
I don't think it's worth the money or the hassle.
drag (informal)
Shopping for clothes is a drag.
spot (informal)
In a tight spot there is no one I would sooner see than Frank.
difficulty
The main difficulty has been getting enough students to try out the scheme.
bore
He's a bore and a fool.
dilemma
The issue raises a moral dilemma.
pest
My neighbour's a real pest.
hot water (informal)
uphill (South Africa)
This job has been a real uphill.
predicament
The decision will leave her in a predicament.
annoyance
Snoring can be more than an annoyance.
quandary
The anonymous letter creates a quandary for the judge.
pain in the neck (informal)
She can be a pain in the neck when she's in this sort of mood.
pain in the arse (taboo, slang)
pain in the backside (informal)
pain in the butt (informal)
Additional synonyms
in the sense of annoyance
Snoring can be more than an annoyance.
Synonyms
nuisance,
bother,
pain (informal),
bind (informal),
bore,
drag (informal),
plague,
tease,
pest,
gall,
pain in the neck (informal),
pain in the arse (taboo, slang)
in the sense of attach
Definition
to join, fasten, or connect
Attach labels to things before you file them away.
Synonyms
affix,
stick,
secure,
bind,
unite,
add,
join,
couple,
link,
tie,
fix,
connect,
lash,
glue,
adhere,
fasten,
annex,
truss,
yoke,
append (formal),
make fast,
cohere,
subjoin,
bootstrap to
in the sense of bond
Definition
to hold or be held together
Strips of wood are bonded together and moulded by machine.